Device for opening up streams of combustion gases



1951' R. H. GODDARD 7 2,563,027

DEVICE FOR OPENING UP STREAMS OF COMBUSTION GASES Filed March 24, 1948INVENTOR.

]806tZ H. dogma, Dead.

I yfim ATTO R N EY Patented Aug. 7, 1951 DEVICE FOR OPENING UP STREAMSOF COMBUSTION GASES Robert H. Goddard, deceased, late of Annapolis,

Md., by Esther C. Goddard, executrix, Worcester, Mass, assignor ofone-half to The Daniel and Florence Guggenheim Foundation, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Application March 24, 1948, Serial No.16,864

1 Claim.

This invention relates to propulsion apparatus and particularly tocombustion chambers having discharge nozzles associated therewith. Thestream of combustion gases discharged from such combustion chambernozzles is commonly very compact and travels at high speed, so that itsairentraining capacity is relatively low.

It is the general object of this invention to provide devices foreffectively opening-up such gas streams by diverting the gases fromdirect axial travel.

To the attainment of this general object, an important feature of theinvention relates to the provision of a spreading device which isrotated by the gas stream and which in turn diverts the combustion gasesfrom their axial path of travel. The air-entraining capacity of the gasstream is thus substantially increased.

The invention further relates to arrangements and combinations of partswhich will be hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out inthe appended claim.

Preferred forms of the invention are shown in the drawing, in which Fig.1 is a sectional side elevation of a combustion chamber nozzle havingthis invention associated therewith;

Fig. 2 is an end view, looking in the direction of the arrow 2 in Fig.1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional side elevation showing the invention mounted in anaugmenter tube;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional side elevation of certain parts shown inFig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a sectional end view, taken substantially along the line 5--5in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a rotatable spreading device; and

Fig. 7 is a sectional side elevation showing a modified constructionhaving provision for a braking efiect.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2. a combustion chamber C having a dischargenozzle N is shown as provided with a spreading device comprising a pairof gas-diverting vanes In and II mounted in a ring ll, which ring is inturn rotatably supported in an anti-friction bearing l5.

As the compact stream of hot combustion gases flows outward through thenozzle N as indicated by the arrows a, the gases engage the vanes II andII and rapidly rotate the spreading device. The compact stream of gasesis thus opened-up and diverted by the vanes Ill and H, so that itbecomes less compact and better adapted for entraining air.

The resultant larger mass of gas and air pro- (Cl. (HF-35.6)

2 duces improved propulsive effects and is particularly useful where acombustion chamber C and nozzle N are associated with an augmenter tubeT as shown in Fig. 3. The operation of the augmenter tube may thus berendered much more efiective.

As the combustion gases are usually at high temperature, provision forcooling the spreading device and particularly the gas-diverting vanesthereof may be desirable. Such cooling provision is indicated in Fig. 4,in which spreading vanes 20are mounted in a band 22 which forms asegment of a cone and which is supported by a ring 24 in ananti-friction bearing 25.

The vanes 20 form a unit with a hollow tube 21 which extends into abearing 28 to which water is supplied through pipes 30. These pipes 30serve to support the bearing 28 in an augmenter tube, as 32, or in anyother stationary structure. The tube 21 has holes 35 (Fig. 4) betweenthe vanes 20, and there are also holes 36 in the band 22.

Water under pressure supplied through the pipes 30 to the tube 21 isthus sprayed between the vanes 20 and against the inner surface of theband 22, thus keeping these parts effectively cooled. Any surplus waterwill be thrown out through the holes 38 to cool the bearing 25.

The ring 24' may be omitted as shown in Fig. 6 and the vanes 40 may beprovided with lugs 4| which are directly secured to the inner member ofthe anti-friction supporting bearing. Free flow of air along the nozzleN2 to enter the opened-up gas stream is thus facilitated.

If it proves necessary to retard the speed of the rotating spreadingdevice, the construction shown in Fig. 7 may be adopted. In thisconstruction, a flexible brake-band 50 rotates with the spreading vanes52 and is positioned with relatively slight clearance inside of a fixedsleeve 55 mounted on the nozzle N3. If the speed of the spreading devicebecomes too great, the brake-band 50 expands by centrifugal force andengages the inside of the sleeve 55, thus retarding and controlling therotation of the spreading device.

A braking effect may also be attained by mounting propeller blades torotate with the spreading vanes. Such propeller blades are shown inbroken lines at in Figs. 3 and 4. They act to retard the rotation of thespreading vanes 2|! and also to increase the flow of air through theaugmenter tube T.

Having thus described the invention and the advantages thereof, it willbe understood that the jacent and rearward of said nozzle, said devicehaving an annular supporting ring with an inner opening substantiallyequal in area; to the open and adjacent rear end of the discharge noz-'zie and axially aligned therewith and having a plurality of spreadervanes mounted and entirely supported on said ring outwardly of saidnozzle and extending freely rearward from the ring and nozzle, saidvanes being outwardly and rearwardly convex and inwardly and forwardlyconcave and collectively presenting a concave surface area in the pathof the discharge gases which is substantially equal in projected area tothe inner area of the ring and of the nozzle,

whereby said vanes are engaged by all of the gases discharged from thenozzle, and each vane being entirely open at the side opposite theconcave inner surface of said vanes for unobstructed transversedisplacement of the gases discharged through said nozzle and againstsaidvanes.

ESTHER C. GODDARD. Emecutriz of the Last Will and Testament 0 Robert H.Goddard, Deceased.

aar'aaancas one!) The following references are of record in the flle ofthis patent STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 976,732 Gherassimoif Nov.22, 1910 2,283,863 Achtermann May 19, 1942 2,395,114 Goddard Feb. 19,1946 20 2,455,458.. Whittle Dec. 7, 1948 2,455,845 Wells Dec. 7, 1948

